Overseas Aid: Coercive Population Programmes

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the statement by Lord Grocott on 25 October (HL Deb, col. 1120), whether and in what circumstances a ban on the use of United Kingdom overseas aid in programmes involving enforced non-voluntary abortion and compulsory sterilisation could adversely affect work to combat HIV in developing countries.

Baroness Amos: UK development assistance is not used to support programmes involving enforced non-voluntary abortion or compulsory sterilisation.

Overseas Aid: Coercive Population Programmes

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the statement by Lord Grocott on 25 October (HL Deb, col. 1120), which organisations currently in receipt of United Kingdom overseas aid implement HIV prevention programmes that involve enforced non-voluntary abortion and compulsory sterilisation.

Baroness Amos: UK development assistance is not used to support programmes involving non-voluntary abortion or compulsory sterilisation.

Overseas Aid: Coercive Population Programmes

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the statement by Lord Grocott on 25 October (HL Deb, col. 1121), on what basis he stated that this year the United States Government had increased their funding of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) from 25 million dollars to 39 million dollars; how much of this is used in China; and, in the light of his remark that this funding is not that different in crucial respects from United Kingdom funding for the UNFPA, how much of the funding is used in coercive population programmes.

Baroness Amos: The United States' contribution to UNFPA's core resources in 2001 totalled US 21.5 million dollars, after a deduction of US 3.5 million dollars, equivalent to UNFPA's annual programme budget for China. The contribution is also subject to a tax deduction. The US Senate is currently considering authorising a contribution of US 40 million dollars to UNFPA for 2002.
	The US Administration's view is that UNFPA's programme is not connected to abuse or coercion and that UNFPA does not and has not condoned coercion in China. We agree with that view.

Afghanistan: Opium Poppy Cultivation

Lord Blaker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the statement by Baroness Amos on 5 November that "in July last year the Taliban effectively banned opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan" (HL Deb, col. 98), whether the ban is still in force; if so, whether it has been effective in preventing such cultivation; and, if not, whether the opium poppy is now grown in that country.

Baroness Amos: The Taliban announced a ban on opium poppy cultivation last year but not on the stockpiling or trafficking of drugs. According to the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, opium production in the areas under Taliban control was 21 tonnes in 2001 compared with 3,139 tonnes in 2000. It is not clear whether the ban is still in force or how the recent advances by the Northern Alliance will affect opium poppy cultivation.
	The opium poppy planting season in Afghanistan is from October to December. And the crop is usually harvested between April and July. It is too early to tell how much opium is currently being grown in Afghanistan or how much will be harvested next year.

UN World Conference Against Racism

Baroness Ludford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the outcome of the recent United Nations World Conference against Racism.

Baroness Amos: The UN World Conference Against Racism (Durban, 31 August–8 September) has reinforced efforts to fight racism, intolerance and discrimination wherever they occur. The final declaration and programme of action will be presented to the UN General Assembly during its current session in New York. When published, the declaration and programme of action will be available on the website of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (www.unhchr.ch).

Kainos Community Prison Wings

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What has been the reoffending rate among prisoners discharged since 1996 from wings of three prisons in Dorset, Kent and Suffolk managed with the help of the Kainos Community; and how this compares with reoffending by ex-prisoners who had served sentences of similar length in the rest of the prison system; and
	Whether the Prison Service or its management board are proposing to discontinue current experiments with Kainos Community prison wings; and, if so, why.

Lord Rooker: After financial and other difficulties with its predecessor organisation, Kairos-Apac, the Kainos Community began the operation of Kainos communities in the wings of four prisons in May 1999. The Prison Service Management Board agreed in September 1999 that these should be permitted to continue, without any commitment of public funds and for a limited period, while they were evaluated. The evaluation was to be done by independent researchers and paid for by Kainos. The board would reach a decision on the future of the programme in the light of the evaluation.
	The evaluation was completed in September 2001. The Kainos trustees provided the board with a copy of the evaluation report and asked the board to take an early decision on the future of the programme because Kainos' own funding for the programme would cease at the end of 2001.
	Among other matters the evaluation examined the one-year reconviction rates of prisoners who had been through the Kainos programme and a comparison group of nearly 14,000 prisoners with similar sentence lengths and from similar prisons. The reconviction rates for the Kainos sample was 23 per cent and for the comparison sample 26 per cent. This difference is not statistically significant and the evaluation report found that there was no basis for concluding that Kainos community prisoners have reconviction rates that are significantly lower than would be expected for similar released prisoners as a whole. Other Prison Service programmes designed to reduce reoffending typically show statistically significant reductions of 10 per cent in future reoffending against expected rates.
	In the light of this finding, the board decided that the Kainos Community should no longer continue to operate in prisons when its present programmes came to an end. The board respects the commitment of the Kainos trustees and of the staff and volunteers who gave their time to the programmes. But it is determined that effort and scarce resources in prisons are devoted only to programmes which can demonstrate their effectiveness.
	The evaluation report remains the property of the Kainos trustees. On 9 November they kindly gave permission for the executive summary to be placed on the Home Office website and this is being done. I am also placing a copy in the Library. I hope that the trustees will be able to publish the full report soon.

Trafficking in Human Beings

Baroness Ludford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress they are making, in co-operation with European Union and other partners, to deter and punish those who traffic foreign women into the United Kingdom for the purposes of forcing them into prostitution.[HL1261)
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Lord Rooker: The Government are committed to putting in place effective measures to combat the trafficking in human beings and to penalise those engaged in this abhorrent practice. To this end, the United Kingdom has signed the Trafficking Protocol to the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organised Crime which requires the specific criminalisation of trafficking in human beings.
	At the European Union level, we have reached provisional agreement on the text of a European Union Framework Decision on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. The draft framework decision will require member states to adopt a common definition of trafficking in human beings for the purposes of sexual or labour exploitation, to criminalise the defined behaviour and to impose common minimum maximum penalties. Following its adoption by the Council, the framework decision will require that member states implement its provisions within two years.
	A decision will be made on how best to implement the UN and EU agreements after the framework decision has been adopted and a number of measures are currently being considered. The Government will also take into account the outcome of the consultation exercise on Setting the Boundaries, the report of the Sex Offences Review. This made recommendations for a new offence of trafficking for sexual exploitation.
	Last year we set up Project REFLEX, which is a multi-agency task force chaired by the National Crime Squad, to co-ordinate anti-trafficking operations and develop the intelligence and strategic planning to underpin them. It is now well established and has resulted in some major successes involving partners overseas in tackling people trafficking.

Broadband Technologies

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the recently-announced target from Oftel of making the United Kingdom the best environment for e-commerce by the end of 2002 is consistent with their own policy in this area of the United Kingdom having the most extensive and competitive broadband market in the G7 by 2005.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Oftel does not have a target related to e-commerce. The Government's targets can be found in Spending Review: Public Service Agreements 2001-2004; (Cm 4808, July 2000) and UK Online: the broadband future (Feb 2001).

Broadband Technologies

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they can provide a geographical breakdown of Oftel's recent assertion that 60 per cent of United Kingdom households have access to digital subscriber line (DSL)

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Oftel's November 2001 ADSL Factsheet reported that 60 per cent of UK households were connected to an ADSL-enabled exchange. The publication UK Online: the broadband future features a geographical breakdown of the availability of broadband technologies, including ADSL. An updated version of this map will shortly be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Broadband Technologies

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What data transfer speeds they use to determine whether an Internet connection can be defined as "broadband" (a) in respect of the commercial market and (b) in respect of the residential market.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: In UK Online: the Broadband Future, the Government offered an initial definition of broadband as always-on, unmetered Internet services with a downstream (from supplier to home or business user) speed of more than 384 kbit/s.

Nuclear Industry Policies

Lord Roberts of Conwy: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect to publish their plans for the development of the nuclear power industry.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Cabinet Office Performance and Innovation Unit is carrying out a review of energy policy as announced by the Prime Minister on 25 June. The review is looking at the objectives of energy policy to develop a strategy that ensures current policy commitments are consistent with longer-term goals. To achieve its aim, the review is considering all sources of energy including nuclear. At this stage, there is no presumption of any change in nuclear industry policies. The review is due to report to the Prime Minister at the end of the year.

Fuel Poverty

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of households containing one or more pensioners are in fuel poverty.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The latest available figures indicate that in England 29 per cent of households headed by an older couple or a single person over the age of 60 were in fuel poverty in 1998. This is based on fuel poverty being defined as when a household needs to spend more than 10 per cent of its income (including housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest) on fuel in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime. When fuel poverty is defined using income excluding housing benefit or income support for mortgage interest 35 per cent of households headed by an older couple or a single person over the age of 60 were in fuel poverty in England in 1998.
	An analysis of fuel poverty in England in 1998 was published in August 2001 by DTI and DEFRA, and is available at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/pdf/fuel pov.pdf.
	Fuel poverty is a devolved matter and therefore it is for the respective Assemblies and Parliament to report on the situation in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Fuel Poverty

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What criteria define the households considered to be in fuel poverty.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, Consultation draft, which was published in February 2001, sets out the definitions of fuel poverty which are used in the UK.
	For England a fuel poor household is defined as one needing to spend in excess of 10 per cent of household income to achieve a satisfactory heating regime (21 degrees C in the living room and 18 degrees C in the other occupied rooms). The definition covers expenditure on all fuel used, and not just that for heating purposes. Two definitions of income are used:
	(1) income includes housing benefit and income support for mortgate interest.
	(2) income excluding housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest.
	The consultation draft of the UK fuel poverty strategy proposed that the number of fuel poor in England is shown on both of these definitions, but that (1) will be used for the purpose of setting targets.
	Fuel poverty is a devolved matter and therefore it is for the respective Assemblies and Parliament to report on the situation in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Fuel Poverty

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which national survey is the source of information on the households in fuel poverty.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, Consultation draft, which was published in February 2001, sets out the information which is available on fuel poverty in the UK.
	For England the main source of information is the five-yearly English House Condition Survey (EHCS). The latest edition of this survey for which figures on fuel poverty are available relates to 1996. Figures for households in fuel poverty in 1998 have been produced from the 1998 Energy Follow Up Survey to the English House Condition Survey, although the analysis available from this survey is more limited than that from the EHCS. The 2001 English House Condition Survey will provide figures on fuel poverty which should be available towards the end of 2002. As of 2002 the English House Condition Survey will be an annual survey.
	Fuel poverty is a devolved matter and therefore it is for the respective Assemblies and Parliament to report on the situation in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Northern Ireland Electricity Market

Lord Glentoran: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the effective exclusion for the next six years of Northern Ireland from trading in renewables obligation certificates is intentional.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Under the Utilities Act 2000, a condition for eligibility for renewable obligation certificates (ROCs) is physical supply of electricity to customers in Great Britain. In order for generators located in Northern Ireland to receive ROCs, they would need to provide evidence of physical supply into the Great Britain distribution system. It is recognised that it would be difficult to provide such evidence under current conditions.
	Discussions are continuing between my department, the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Northern Ireland) and Ofreg on the relationship between the renewables obligation and the Northern Ireland electricity market. The Government will review the situation in the light of any proposals emerging from the current consultation taking place in Northern Ireland on the development of renewable energy in the Province.

Northern Ireland Electricity Market

Lord Glentoran: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will erase sub-clause 4(5)(d)(iv) from the draft statutory instrument that implements the renewables obligation arrangements.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Under the Utilities Act 2000, a condition for eligibility for renewable obligation certificates (ROCs) is physical supply of electricity to customers in Great Britain. In order for generators located in Northern Ireland to receive ROCs, they would need to provide evidence of physical supply into the Great Britain distribution system.
	The evidence required would include proof that electricity has not flowed in the opposite direction. This is the provision to which the noble Lord refers in his Question.
	This evidence would be required to prevent "virtual imports", where electricity is not physically supplied, but merely notionally supplied by a transaction on paper.
	The Government are continuing to consider responses to the consultation on the draft statutory instrument, but at this stage do not propose to remove the provision to which the noble Lord refers.

Northern Ireland: Renewable Energy

Lord Glentoran: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will negotiate with the Northern Ireland Assembly to implement a renewables obligation similar to that currently in draft for Great Britain or under a United Kingdom-wide umbrella.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: As the noble Lord is aware, energy issues in Northern Ireland are a devolved matter. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has recently published a Northern Ireland-wide consultation on forms of support for renewable energy in the Province and he will wish to consider appropriate support mechanisms in the light of the consultation. The Government will review the situation in respect of the United Kingdom as a whole in the light of any measures forthcoming to support renewable energy in Northern Ireland.

Euratom Treaty

Lord Inglewood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they consider that by signing the Euratom Treaty a member state recognises the legitimacy of civil nuclear establishments in other member states so long as they have complied with the provisions of that treaty.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: All signatories to the Euratom Treaty accept that the main task of the Euratom Community is to "create the conditions necessary for the speedy establishment and growth of nuclear industries". It is the responsibility of the member states to ensure that nuclear activities are carried out in accordance with all relevant national regulatory requirements and obligations under the Euratom Treaty. The Government are confident that all member states are committed to full compliance with their Euratom Treaty obligations.

General Practitioner Lists

Baroness Greengross: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they ensure general practitioner lists are kept up-to-date so that GPs do not claim capitation fees for patients who have (a) moved overseas; (b) moved to a different area; or (c) died; and
	Whether it is legal for a general practitioner surgery to keep a patient who moved from the United Kingdom in the 1970s registered on their list.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Health authorities are responsible for maintaining lists of patients registered with general practitioners. They must remove a patient from the list when notification is received that the patient has left the United Kingdom for more than three months, moved to a new health authority area or has died. The National Duplicate Registration Initiative is addressing and reducing the incidence of duplicate registration. It would not be legal for a general practitioner surgery to keep a patient registered on their list where they left the United Kingdom in the 1970s.

Long-term Care

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What consideration they are giving to the call for everyone who requires long-term care to be afforded the same provision and standard of care wherever they live in the United Kingdom, whether provided in the community or in a residential home; and whether there is any action they will be taking in response to the Right to Care Campaign.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: There is regular communication between health Ministers in the Department of Health and the devolved administrations to ensure that we are all aware of the development of policy in each of the countries in the United Kingdom, recognising that devolution means that it is for each country to decide its own policies on those matters for which it is responsible. My honourable friend the Minister of State (Ms Jacqui Smith) will be replying to a letter sent on behalf of the Right to Care Campaign setting out the reasons for our decisions about long-term care in England and outlining the significant extra investment provided and planned in health and social services for people requiring long-term care.

Tourism: Assistance

Baroness Ludford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assistance is being given to tourism in (a) London and (b) nationally, to counter the adverse effects on the industry resulting from (i) the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and (ii) the events in the United States on Tuesday 11 September and subsequent related events.

Baroness Blackstone: In response to the effects of foot-and-mouth on the countryside the Government introduced a package of recovery assistance for rural businesses, including tourism businesses, worth over £300 million. The Government also gave the English Tourism Council an additional £3.8 million to promote tourism in the countryside, and the £74 million Business Recovery Fund, administered by the regional development agencies, included a number of programmes to encourage tourism. Other measures introduced to offer assistance to businesses affected by the foot-and-mouth outbreak include an extension of the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme, the deferral of tax, VAT and national insurance contributions and hardship rate relief.
	The British Tourist Authority has been given an additional £14.2 million to promote Britain overseas. Part of this was used at the time of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, and £5 million is now to be used to counter the drop in overseas visitors which has particularly affected London following the terrorist attacks on 11 September. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has also recently agreed to a request from the London Development Agency for £500,000 of DCMS funding which had previously been earmarked for overseas promotion to be used domestically, as this is thought more likely to be successful in attracting visitors to London in the immediate future.

Tourism: Marketing

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Blackstone on 7 November (WA 25) regarding the marketing of English tourism to the domestic market, which areas of marketing will have their resources reduced.

Baroness Blackstone: In the light of events this year and recent consultations my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has had with senior industry representatives, Ministers are reviewing the options for stimulating better co-ordination of the public and private sector funds currently spent on marketing tourism in England.
	The Government have no intention to reduce resources devoted to marketing but are determined to ensure that current funds are more effectively used. For instance, Ministers have recently given the GLA permission to switch up to £500,000 from the overseas marketing and promotion of London's tourism industry to domestic marketing. This increase in English marketing is in response to the extent to which people across Britain have changed their travel plans since 11 September, offering considerable scope for domestic tourism to attract those who might otherwise have taken trips abroad.

Landing Ships Contract

Lord Graham of Edmonton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made with regard to placing a contract for an additional two alternative landing ships logistic.

Lord Bach: We are pleased to announce that, further to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence's announcement on 26 October last year in another place, (Offiical Report cols. 414–15), the Ministry of Defence has concluded negotiations with BAE Systems Marine and has today placed a contract worth an estimated value of £120 million with the BAE Systems Marine Govan shipyard on the Clyde to construct two alternative landing ships logistics. This is in addition to the first two ships in the class which are to be built by Swan Hunter at its Tyneside yard. BAE Systems Marine will build their vessels to Swan's design.
	This represents an important enhancement to our amphibious capability as each ALSL has more than twice the carrying capacity of the ships that they will replace. This significantly increases our specialist amphibious lift capacity. The vessels being built by Swan Hunter are due to enter into service in 2004 and 2005. Work at Govan on the further two vessels should commence later this month with a planned in-service date of 2005.
	This represents positive news for Clyde shipbuilding and should sustain 600 jobs at the Clyde shipyards and 200 other jobs in the region until the planned Type 45 destroyer construction commences.

Foot and Mouth Inquiries

Lord Willoughby de Broke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which committees of inquiry have been established to examine the foot-and-mouth epidemic; who are the chairman and members of each inquiry; what is the date on which each inquiry began or will begin its work; and what is the date on which each inquiry expects to report its findings.

Lord Whitty: On 9 August 2001 my right honourable friend the Prime Minister announced two independent inquiries into the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak namely the "Lessons learned" inquiry and the Royal Society study.
	The "Lessons Learned" inquiry, chaired by Dr Iain Anderson, does not have a panel of members. Instead a secretariat works directly with Dr Anderson. This inquiry will not formally begin until it is clear that it will not distract from the eradication of FMD and Dr Anderson has been asked to make recommendations six months after its official start.
	The members of the committee for the Royal Society study are as follows: Professor Sir Brian Follett FRS (Chairman), Mr Peter Allen, Professor Patrick Bateson FRS, Mr David Black, Professor Fred Brown FRS, Mr Roger Eddy, Ms Suzi Leather, Professor Simon Levin, Professor Karl Linklater, Ms Jeanette Longfield, Professor Ian McConnell, Dr Angela Maclean, Professor Andrew McMichael FRS, Dr Jenny Mumford and Professor Robin Weiss FRS. The committee held its first meeting on 3 October 2001 and plans to report its findings by summer 2002.

Parliamentary Website

Baroness Ludford: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What assessment he has made of the Parliamentary website in terms of (a) content, (b) design, (c) accessibility, and (d) commitment to open government; and what comparison, if any, he has made with the websites of other legislatures, particularly the website of the European Parliament. [HL1234[]
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Lord Tordoff: In response to concerns about the design of the Parliamentary website, the House of Lords and the House of Commons set up a joint project to commission a new design in 2000. The contract to prepare the new design was subsequently awarded to EPIC Group plc, who have examined parliamentary websites in Europe, the Commonwealth and the United States of America. The redesigned website is currently under construction, and is expected to be ready in spring 2002. It will deliver substantial improvements in all the areas identified by the noble Baroness.